According to the latest edition of the Good Beach Guide, launched last week by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), 461 UK beaches have excellent bathing water quality which is the third highest number in the Guide’s 24 year history.
However, 46 UK beaches have failed to meet even the basic standards set 35 years ago in European law. These could be a potential health hazard for beachgoers, who may encounter unacceptable levels of bacteria and viruses in the sea water, and the MCS says this is a real cause for concern.
“From 2015 Europe’s beaches will be classified using even stricter water quality standards due to the revision of the Bathing Water Directive,” says Rachel Wyatt, MCS Coastal Pollution Officer. “But instead of viewing these new standards with dread, our coastal communities and water companies should welcome them as an opportunity to attract more people to the UK’s wonderful and varied seaside resorts”.
Monitoring for the new standards begins next year, and if a beach consistently fails to meet these legal limits between then and 2015, bathers could be faced with a sign advising them not to enter the water when they head to the beach.
MCS says this could be hugely damaging for local economies and is demanding that the UK’s environmental regulators work much more closely with water companies and local authorities to investigate sources of pollution affecting bathing water quality and, where necessary, ensure improvements are made.
Robert Keirle, MCS Pollution Programme Manager, says one issue MCS is particularly concerned about is the amount of dilute sewage flowing into coastal waters from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), which are designed to act as emergency outlets for overloaded sewerage systems during periods of heavy rainfall, but which can discharge at other times as well.
“There are 22,000 CSOs in the UK, and only around a quarter of these pipes are monitored to see how often they are putting untreated sewage into the sea. MCS wants all of these pipes mapped and monitored, and for the public to be told at the time when, and for how long, the sewage is flowing. Mapping costs relatively little yet it could make the difference between an enjoyable trip to the beach or one that ends up in A&E with ear, nose and throat infections or stomach upsets.”
The charity says that only by demanding the cleanest beaches for swimming can we ensure that investments are made to improve our coastline and tackle sources of bathing water pollution.
You can check out which beaches have the best water quality for swimming by going to www.goodbeachguide.co.uk.
photo credit: Photo_Robson
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Hi and welcome. I'm a freelance travel and lifestyle copywriter and editor, with a passion for the great outdoors. This is my personal blog all about getting out in the fresh air and reconnecting with our green spaces and countryside.
